


Spreading Joy

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 04:19:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12763005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Hardcase acquires a mascot for the 501st... only she was carrying a litter. Nothing for it but to spread the wealth, right?





	Spreading Joy

Getting the tooka aboard had taken some ingenuity and an empty munitions crate. Rigging the air exchanger had given Hardcase fits, but in the end, he'd coaxed his new friend into curling up inside the crate, and personally loaded it on his own drop ship. The very full belly had done wonders to keep the tooka quiet, and Hardcase had swiftly secured the crate to quarters, with his squadmates running distraction for him.

The first officer to know was Kix, because Hardcase had promptly panicked when his furry friend had acted odd three days later.

While one tooka could be managed, even Hardcase was hard-pressed to explain what they would do with five of them.

+++

The rendezvous with the 212th came within a week of the tooka litter being weaned. Hardcase bribed Wooley to look the other way as he smuggled one of them to Boil, knowing his friend had been seething out of grief for the too-young brothers put under his care in his squad. Waxer smiled thankfully, even as Boil pretended he didn't care about the kit… right up until the kit sniffed its way too close to the edge of the berth.

Boil reached out, gathering the small creature in his hands, and Hardcase left, pleased he'd been able to help their brothers in the 212th.

+++

There was no deceit in the delivery to the 327th. Jesse, being older than so many of them, went straight to Bly, and asked if his men needed a mascot to help deal with their losses. Bly's eyes went narrow, and then Jesse pulled the half-grown kit out of the carrier he'd slung on his back.

"We've trained them all to get in an enviro-cube, when general quarters sound. Air, food, water, and able to endure vacuum until opened," Jesse said casually.

That night, Aayla Secura pretended she had no idea why all of her men had gathered in their largest open space to meet the mascot.

+++

It took Rex bringing one of the kits, nearly full-grown but well-trained, to Wolffe. The captain showed Wolffe that the kit knew all the commands for living, and surviving, on a combat vessel, and then asked how Boost was doing.

Wolffe flinched; Boost had taken a lot of injuries in the first mission after recovering Wolffe from Ventress, and the Commander was worried. Then, he looked at Rex in understanding and took the kit, the enviro-cube, and went to find his brother.

Boost needed the morale lift that caring for the tooka would bring. And any other brothers on a long downtime for injuries. Wolffe was certain their General would not mind at all.

+++

The last kit was the hardest to find a home for among their brothers, and Hardcase was terrified about the pair being found and losing both of them.

He should have had more faith in his Jedi, because it was Commander Tano that slipped into quarters and asked him to get the tooka that "certainly wasn't on the ship" ready to leave. Her wink and smile calmed him down, as did her leaving some of her jerky behind for their mascot.

This time, he played lookout as she loaded up the cube and tooka on the _Twilight_ of all things. 

"Where?" he finally made himself ask, afraid for the kit all over again.

"Part of the supply run to the nearby med-facility, Hardcase. The Fleet might have policies, but… well, the men come first."

Hardcase couldn't help but hug her, knowing that some of his injured brothers would soon have their own therapy tooka.

Maybe he needed to find a mate for his girl, so they could keep spreading the joy around….


End file.
